In hospitals, nursing homes, various other institutions as well as in private homes there is need for a shower and skin care unit suitable for use in treating immobile patients. Such a unit is useful not only to give the patient a shower and shampoo. It is significantly useful also in the following procedures:
Wound irrigation PA1 Antiseptic cleansing PA1 Blood and body waste cleansing PA1 Improved catheter care PA1 Treatment of hyperthermia PA1 Treatment of hypothermia PA1 Treatment of burns PA1 Treatment of hospital associated infections PA1 Eye and ear irrigations PA1 Treatment of chemical burns
and many other procedures.
It is the general purpose of the present invention to provide a shower and skin care unit of reasonable cost which may be used efficiently as a shower and shampoo unit but which is versatile in that it may be employed with facility in the treatment of a wide variety of traumatic conditions.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a unit which is readily accessible, mobile, comfortable, safe in use, and easily disinfected between patients.
It is a particular object of the present invention to provide a combination shower and skin care unit which is adaptable for use with programmable, computerized, electromechanical controls.
Broadly stated, the immobile patient shower and skin care unit of my invention comprises an elongated case open at one end for receiving a shower-type gurney with the patient lying supine on the gurney with his head supported and extending outside the end of the case. Multiple shower heads deliver bath water and/or skin treating reagents to the patient as he lies enclosed in the case.
A closure releasably closes the open end of the case and positions beneath the patient's head a shampoo tray which drains into the case interior.
A baffle molded on the interior of the closure below the shampoo tray also drains into the case interior.
Trough means on the case floor collect the waste water from the shower heads and deliver it to a suitably positioned case drain outlet.